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In August 1950 David MacBrayne Ltd acquired the Swedish coaster ORNEN, which was built in Gothenburg in 1946. After being overhauled she was handed over to the Company on 21^st November and sailed to Glasgow where she was renamed LOCHDUNVEGAN and took up the Glasgow – Stornoway cargo run in December.

LOCHDUNVEGAN was the only ship in the MacBraynes fleet to have a re-enforced hull to withstand ice and the first to be fitted with a variable pitch propeller, although this was removed in November 1951.

In the spring of 1951 she was fitted with a refrigerated hold for the carriage of fish and deck cabins to accommodate four passengers.

With the advent of the car ferries MacBraynes cargo trade fell away and by 1972 LOCHDUNVEGAN was employed on a very limited Glasgow –Tobermory – Lochalsh service.

Due for withdrawal in September 1973, she spent the summer supporting CLAYMORE (1955) on the Tiree service following the grounding of LOCH SEAFORTH in the Sound of Gunna.

LOCHDUNVEGAN also grounded bringing her career with MacBraynes to an end this time at Lochboisdale on 23^rd August after her rudder jammed. She was towed to James Lamont’s yard in Port Glasgow where she was slipped for inspection. She never sailed for MacBraynes again and was sold in November 1973 to Greek interests.

LOCHDUNVEGAN is pictured on the River Clyde near Yorkhill Quay in 1967 and is featured on the August page of the 2007 Club calendar. Photograph by Robin Love.

Ferry operator Caledonian MacBrayne announces that it has today (Monday 3 December) opened its summer 2008 reservations system.

Caledonian MacBrayne has deferred its decision on seven-day sailings to and from Lewis until early next year.

The board of directors confirmed, that no decision would be taken until clarification of the Scottish Government ‘s road equivalent tariff (RET) pilot study was received, at a meeting in Fort William on Wednesday 28th November.

The Sunday sailing issue has created deep divisions among the community of traditionally Sabbatarian Lewis.

The Lord’s Day Observance Society recently submitted a petition bearing the signatures of almost 4,000 residents on Lewis and Harris opposed to a Sunday service to the island.

However the Scottish Government has since stated that it will not intervene to prevent CalMac introducing a Sunday service.

From The Oban Times Those Were The Days Column, Thursday December 4^th 1992.

The row between islanders on Mull, Coll and Tiree with Caledonian MacBrayne was rekindled due to the ferry company’s decision to stop picking up vehicles from Tobermory on the Oban – Coll – Tiree ferry. This decision angered many islanders.

A CalMac spokesman said there would be a special service from Tobermory on Sundays between the end of June and August 1993.

CalMac were also asked about the possibility of establishing a covered walkway down the pier at Tiree, as it was very exposed.

The Glasgow Queen Street – Oban train timetable has been re-cast to provide uniform departure times in common with other departures from the station.

The train now leaves Glasgow at 08.21, 12.21 and 18.21. The summer Saturdays only, however, still leaves at 10.37. On Sundays the train leaves at 12.20 and 18.20.

Departure times from Oban are 08.11, 12.11, 16.11 (summer S only) and 18.11. On Sundays the train leaves Oban at 12.11 and 18.11.

The 12.21, which has been brought forward from 12.39, now arrives in Oban at 15.27 providing a link with the 16.00 ferry service from Oban to Craignure.

The Caledonian MacBrayne ferry, ISLE OF MULL, was launched on Tuesday 8^th December 1987 from the Port Glasgow yard of Appledore Ferguson Shipbuilders Ltd.

Named by HRH Princess Alexandra, she was being fitted out when it was found that she had a serious deadweight problem. Despite being perfectly safe with outstanding accommodation, her carrying capacity fell far short of specification.

Replacing CALEDONIA, ISLE OF MULL entered service, from Oban to Craignure, on 11^th April 1988 and, in all other aspects, was a complete success. She was taken off the run in October 1988 and sailed to Middlesbrough where she was dry-docked and cut in two. A 5.4 prefabricated section was fitted in forward of the funnel. The operation, at the builder’s expense, was quickly proved to be successful.

After a linkspan was built on Colonsay, GLEN SANNOX was no longer required and the Mull ferry included Colonsay in her roster. Since 1993 an extra ferry has been based in Oban during the summer allowing ISLE OF MULL to concentrate on the Craignure run while maintaining the Colonsay run in winter.

She has deviated from her roster from time to time and has relieved at Stornoway and has also made an appearance at Coll, Tiree, Barra and Lochboisdale.

This year she relieved CALEDONIAN ISLES on the Ardrossan – Brodick route for the first time. However, due to adverse weather conditions, this was not a great success.

After completing her overhaul at the Garvel Dock, Greenock ISLE OF MULL relieved CALEDONIAN ISLES on Thursday 29^th November. She returned from overhaul, again at Greenock, on Tuesday 18^th December allowing ISLE OF MULL to return to West Highland waters. She left Ardrossan early on Wednesday 19^th.

The Club’s 25^th Anniversary Lunch was held on board the vessel on Saturday 27^th March 1993. The 40^th Anniversary Lunch, on Saturday 6^th October 2007,was held on board the same vessel. To mark the occasion, the Club presented Captain Kenny Elder with a framed photograph of his ship.

A nominated Club cruise on Saturday 1^st December from Ardrossan to Brodick was cancelled as the vessel was diverted to Gourock.

2008 will see the 20^th Anniversary of ISLE OF MULL, a vessel which has given sterling service to Caledonian MacBrayne. There is no doubt that she will give many more years of service to the company and to the people of Mull, the island from which she takes her name.

The Caledonian MacBrayne ferry EIGG was built by James Lamont & Company, Port Glasgow and launched on Thursday 12^th December 1974.

EIGG is the forth of eight Island Class ferries and is one of three survivors of the Class, the other two being CANNA and RAASAY.

The Scottish Government have asked Caledonian MacBrayne to look for a suitable vessel to run a ferry service from Lochboisdale to Mallaig.

This route was not included in the tender specification awarded to CalMac in September.

CalMac has been asked by Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson to provide him with a report on the possibility of finding a ship before Christmas.

Islanders have been campaigning for a service between Lochboisdale and Mallaig claiming it would create a much-needed economic boost to help tourism and fish farming. However there is currently no commitment to charter or purchase a ferry for the service.

An internal enquiry is being carried out after a pier worker reportedly lost 1½ fingers while mooring a Caledonian MacBrayne ferry in Oban. The accident occurred on Thursday 6^th.

Caledonian MacBrayne has defended its decision to load foot passengers via the car decks while the new linkspan is being built at Oban.

Passengers have been concerned about the safety of embarking via the car deck. This method of embarkation will be in place until the new linkspan is completed next spring. They are pointing out that CalMac staff wear high visibility vests and hard hats while passengers are not given the same protection.

A CalMac spokesman stated that passengers board the ship when there are no cars on board and if it weren’t safe they would not be allowed to board the ship in this manner. It has been cleared by a risk assessment and is probably one of the safest ways to access the ship. The current measures are the safest way of getting passengers on board under the circumstances.

A car ferry could be up and running at the north end of Lismore in the near future after a consultation saw more than 100 local people support the plan.

Following last year’s public consultation by the Scottish Government into ferry services on the west coast, an appraisal of the situation on Lismore is currently being carried out involving Caledonian MacBrayne and Argyll and Bute Council.

Two ferries currently serve Lismore. CalMac operate a passenger and vehicle service from Oban to Achnacroish at the south end of the island, while the local authority run a passenger only service at the north end to Port Appin on the mainland.

The CalMac crossing takes approximately fifty minutes while the passenger only service takes five minutes.

During the consultation the issue of future services to Lismore generated a high level of responses. More that 114 responses supported a vehicle service at the north end of the island with 45 wishing to maintain the status quo.

A further 17 responses were received from the local community of Port Appin raising concerns about the possibility of a car ferry arriving and departing from their community.

The joint meeting, which the West Highland Steamer Club hold every year with the Paddle Steamer Preservation Society, was on Friday 21^st. This year it was the turn of the PSPS to act as hosts and chose the speaker and theme for the evening.

This year the speaker was Iain Quinn whose presentation was entitled “ Waverley Round Britain”.

As has become customary the PSPS opened the meeting while the WHSC brought the evening to a close.

Iain’s research into his subject was, as usual, quite meticulous and his slides and commentary, well presented. As the title suggests members were treated to a selection of slides featuring WAVERLEY in various locations around the coast of Britain and Ireland although Iain did show more slides of the ship around the Clyde and Western Isles.

WAVERLEY will only be sailing around the Western Isles over a long weekend next year. She will depart from Glasgow at 07.00 on Friday May 2^nd and return to Greenock on Tuesday 6^th.

The paddle steamer will then enter dry-dock for overhaul before sailing down to the Bristol Channel on Saturday 24^th.

The next PSPS meeting is on Friday 18^th January when Waverley Excursions Operations Director Ian McMillan highlights some of the less obvious challenges associated with running WAVERLEY in the 21^st century. His talk is entitled “The Era of Regulations”.

The next WHSC meeting is on Friday 25^th January when Gordon Law talks about “CalMac in the Mull Area”.

All meetings are held in The Kirk Lounge. Renfield St Stephens Church Hall, Bath Street, Glasgow commencing at 19.30.

Backers of the campaign to re-instate the Mallaig – Lochboisdale ferry service have welcomed the possibility of Caledonian MacBrayne chartering a vessel for the route.

A new vessel has been ruled out on cost grounds after CalMac lodged a report with the Scottish Government, which examined the option of chartering a vessel for up to two years to see how the service works out. In a few years time there could be a bespoke vessel on the route.

A ferry company that has been trying to establish a direct link between Jura and the mainland for around twenty years, feels current harbour problems at Port Askaig are strengthening its case.

Islay and Jura Ferry Company Ltd plans to re-instate the traditional ferry route between Lagg on Jura and Keilmore near Tayvallich on the mainland.

The company believes that Argyll and Bute Council, which has had the proposal for consideration for four years now has no intention of allowing the project to move forward.

Following the news that Argyll and Bute Council’s expansion of the harbour and creation of a new ramp at Port Askaig has cost £12.775million (original estimate £6.5 million), the company claims its point has been proved.

The problems at Port Askaig make it more difficult for Jura people to get to the mainland and the company feel that it proves their point that Jura should have a direct link rather than be constrained by running through another island’s port.

The company may look at legal action in order to have its plans considered by Argyll and Bute Council.

Staff and customers at ferry operator Caledonian MacBrayne are celebrating the award of an MBE to Eric Ruthven, clerical assistant in the company’s Mail Room at Support Services in Gourock.